River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-10-27
STORY OF A LOST WATCH.
What q Philadelphia Colorcd Man Real
ICED BIZ His Honesty.

What q Philadelphia Colorcd Man Real
ICED BIZ His Honesty.
For some time" said the doctor,
Il have been attending colored man
on Wood street. who is confined TO his
bed by a chronic disorder There was
no money in the case, but the true
physician never thinks of that, and
kept pegging away at my man until ]
got him on the turn. Then he fell
back again. and began TO think his
mind was diseased-that is. that he
was brooding over something. aud
that plays the mischief with medicine.
You take the case of n beautiful girl
who loses her hair from fever. Her
recovery is retarded for weeks if you
give her looking-glass.
well. l kept quiet and made my
self friendly. aud one day the secret
came our. He waited until he was
alone with me, and then he asked me
to go 10 closet in the room and hunt
up black stocking. l did so and
handed it to him. and he took there-
from something that looked like
bundle of rags. Removing the rags
disclosed roll of paper tied with old
Irvine, and inside of that beautiful
gold watch. | had been watching
these proceedings with considerable
interest, and when saw the watch !
jumped at once 10 the conclusion that
my patient was about to make restitu-
ton for robbery. | was mistaken.
"'You's away of. boss, said he
with smile. rs he evidently read my
thoughts. 1 didn't stole that watch;
found 'um. l picked up that watch
bout year ago on the corner of
Thirteenth and Market; and | want to
give 'um back before die. The story
looked fishy, but it all turned out
naturally enough when I questioned
him. lie found the watch and brought
it home. and told no one about it for
fear of being robbed He didn't adj
vertise it because he had no money TO
pay for the advertisement and he dlda't
read tho papers to sec if reward had
been offered simply because neither he
nor any of his family could read. So
he hid the watch in a closet and did
nothing at all.
IL examined the watch md saw that
it was lady's watch. and valuable.
On the inside Of the case was engraved
date and the name Sarah Matilda
Shereve. Here was clew. What
do you want me to do with Ihis?' !
asked. He replied that was TO find
the owner aud return he watch with
.4rssh ,.atxrat..l and M annt.,nI
actually grateful as I carried it away
when returned to my office l got
out tho directory and wrote a letter to
every Shreve in the city. about half
dozen. detailing the circumstances and
asking for Sarah Matilda. The next
day got a letter from 4 Shreve telling
me that the owner of the watch was
now the wife of prominent citizen
never mind his name-and lived at
Seventeenth and Pine. That afternoon
7 called on the lady. told my story and
she identified the watch beyond qucs-
ton. and told how she lost it in coming
from Broad street station.
''Shc was gratified at its recovery.
and surprised when she heard where il
had been for a year, aud am happy
20 say that her qualification did not
stop at words. The next day she called
to see my patient and lef, a liberal
present behind her, and she has been d
regular caller ever since. The result
is that my man is getting well. and it
looks now as if his modest future was
assured tell you this story just to
illustrate what good policy honesty is.
He might have realiz ID twenty dollars
by selling the watch. but he resisted
the temptation. and he will realize ten
times that amount now. think there
j. good. sound moral in the story. ~
Philadelphia Gail